19 



the Northumberland coast, consisted chiefly of herrings with three 

 winter rings, as was the case in 1913. The age composition of the 

 samples taken in 1913 and 1914 during the same months was as 

 follows : — 



WINTER RINGS. 



Samples. 123456789 10 



1913— A-G ... 13-2 47-2 30-8 8-6 0-1 0-1 



1914—3-9 ... 0-2 21-5 53-7 14-6 4-8 1-5 0-5 0-2 0-1 0-1 



It will be noticed that there is some variation for fish with 

 two and four winter rings, and also that the percentage of herrings 

 with more than five winter rings is again very small. It w^ould 

 appear then that during 1913 and 1914 the local herring grounds 

 have been more of a nursery for developing fish than a spawnmg 

 ground for the mature. 



Hjort has recorded for the Northumberland coast for 1911 a 

 predominance of herrings with three winter rmgs,* and this we 

 have found to characterise them in the years 1912-14. 



Younger fish are no doubt to be found nearer the coast, but 

 any quantity of these, owing to the selective nature of the drift 

 net, has not yet been obtained. 



Sample 10, although caught by the trawl, differs little from 

 samples 3 to 9 as regards age composition. It is without doubt 

 a sample of the same class of fish, and has therefore been included 

 when drawing the curve on Chart II. 



The herrings from 30 miles S.E. by E. from Hartlepool, and 

 as will be seen from Chart I. caught nearer the shore than samples 

 3 to 10, are of interest as being on the whole older than those from 

 the Northumberland coast. Although the predominant year 

 class had three winter rings, the number of fish with two winter 

 rings was smaller than in any of the Northumberland samples, 

 and comprised onh^ 4-5 per cent, of the sample. Of fish with four 

 and five winter rings there were 24-0 and 14-5 per cent, respectively. 



The two samples of trawled herrings from the Yorkshire coast 

 ground had an average age composition as follows : — 



* Rapports et Proces-Verbaux des R6unious, vol. xx., page 69. 



